Massachusetts Legislature Considers Raising Dropout Age To 18

The Walpole (MA) Times (3/9) reports that a committee of the Massachusetts House is "poised to advance legislation that will raise the state's minimum high school dropout age to 18 in time for the 2014-2015 school year, an effort that backers say will help chip away at the 8,000 students per year who quit school and disproportionately wind up in prison or dependent upon taxpayer-funded programs." The measure would implement the change from the current dropout age of 16 in increments, the Times reports, noting that the bill "will be voted on by the 17-member committee a month after President Barack Obama challenged states to raise their dropout ages to 18 during his State of the Union address."